Writing a good sentence is an art form. You can master that art by developing your awareness of what makes a sentence work. To be sure there are nuances to sentence structure that may take a lifetime to master, but there are some essential elements to every English sentence that even a toddler must master. One essential element that must be included in every sentence is the verb. The verb denotes action, occurrence, or existence. It is the verb that brings order and structure to what would otherwise be a collection of random and chaotic vocables. You can construct a sentence without an adjective or adverb, participle or pronoun, clause or conjunction, but you cannot construct a sentence without a verb. Actually all you need to communicate is a verb. “Look!” That’s a one-word sentence that communicates. You can’t do that with a noun. “Bird.” What about it? You want me to shoot it or see it, feed it or eat it? Without the verb a sentence does not make any sense. Without the verb a sentence has no meaning. “See Jane.” “See Jane run.” “Run Jane, run!” Without the verb we don’t know what to do with Jane.
A sentence doesn’t make any sense without a verb and a Christian doesn’t either. In verse 18 John writes, “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” This morning Saint John reminds us that our resurrection hope is not simply an idea that we talk about, it is an action that we do.
Before we talk about the importance of action in the life of a Christian, we need to understand the context of our text. To do that we need to back up a couple verses. In verses 16 and 17 John writes, “16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” Before we talk about what we do, we need to be reminded what He did. Before we talk about the importance of action in the life of a Christian we need to be reminded of the importance of action in the life of the Christ. John reminds us that “Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” Jesus did not simply think about forgiving us; He sacrificed Himself on the cross to forgive us. Jesus did not simply talk about our salvation; He rose from the dead to secure our salvation. Because of these actions, in verse 18 John calls us “dear children” and in verse 21 he calls us “dear friends”. I don’t think “friends” really captures the meaning of the Greek word that John used in verse 21. John used the word ἀγαπη. Literally John called us the “loved ones”.
It is remarkable that we are called children and loved ones. By nature, that is before the Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts we belonged, as Jesus says in John 8:44, “to your father, the devil.” By nature, that is before the Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts Romans 8:7 reminds us that we were “hostile to God”. Before we were believers, we were children of the devil and haters of God. But because of the actions of Jesus, John calls us children and loved ones.
In verses 16 and 17 John reminds us that Jesus has made us the beloved children of God. I suppose I could have really simplified this by saying that John is talking to believers when he says, “let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” But it is always good to be reminded that we do not do an action to become the beloved children of God. We do an action because we already are the beloved children of God.
Now, let’s talk about the actions that we as beloved children of God do. Actions are essential in the life of a Christian. You can tell someone you love him or her every single day but if you never show it; if you never make that love visible, your words make no sense, your words have no meaning. Like a sentence that doesn’t have a verb, the words “I love you”, when not connected to an action, are only a collection of random and chaotic vocables. Love without action is nothing more than a senseless sentimentality and a meaningless emotion. I am not saying you should never tell someone you love them. Words are appropriate for making promises and commitments of love, but it is action that makes sense out of and brings meaning to the words “I love you”. That is why saint John says to the beloved children of God, “let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
In verse 23 John identifies the object of our action when he tells us to, “love one another”. Here John reminds us that the Christian not only functions as the object who receives the action but also functions as the subject who performs the action; God has not only made you the object of His love, but He has also made you the subject who gets to love others. Like an object placed in a sentence that receives the action of the verb so God has placed people in your life to receive the action of your love. God calls them “another” so really it can be anyone beside yourself. Family, friends, church members, neighbors, coworkers, countrymen, and all of humanity are, for you, objects to whom you can show love.
So, as we talk about our actions, we could talk about humanitarian aid, civil service, or random acts of kindness. But I thought perhaps we should start out at the “See Jane.” “See Jane run.” “Run Jane, run!” level. Maybe just for now think about the objects of love that God has placed inside your home, that is the people who are the closest to you, maybe your mother/father, brother/sister, husband/wife, son/daughter. Think about the people to whom you have already said, “I love you”.
Now think about a way that you can make sense of and give meaning to the words “I love you”; think of a way that you can love them not with words or tongue but with action. The possibilities are nearly endless. Maybe you could wash their dishes, make their bed, or fold their laundry. Maybe you could hand write them a letter, draw them a picture, give them flowers. Maybe you could make them a drink, cover them with a blanket, or kiss their forehead. Maybe you could play a game with them, go for a bike ride with them, or take them to the park. One of the beautiful things about verbs is there are so many of them, so many different types of action, so many different ways to show the objects of love that God has placed in your life that you love them.
Likely there are many ways that you are already showing your love to the objects of love that God has placed in your house, but if you really want to shake things up and make your love even more visible try doing something new. And I would even encourage you to communicate with the objects of love that God has placed in your house exactly what you are doing. I know some of you might think that sounds like you are bragging but never mind that for now. Someday I will preach a sermon about humility, but for now it is more important that you make sense and give meaning to your acts of love. Besides, some of you who have never turned on a vacuum before might need to explain what you are doing so that the family doesn’t think you have lost your mind. And I think the more obnoxious you are about it the better. “Honey I am doing the dishes because I looooove you." “Honey I am packing your lunch because I looooove you.” “Children lets go outside and play catch because we looooove you.” “Momma I drew you this picture because I looooove you.” Oh, you are going to sound like dorks. The neighbors might think you strange but try it. I bet the objects of love that God has placed in your house will appreciate this display of love and I bet you will enjoy it. I know God will. When we show our love by doing these things for one another John says we “22… do what pleases him (God)”. When the object of God’s love become also the subjects who love others God is pleased. It makes God happy to see us love one another not with words or tongue but with action and in truth.
Now, do you have to show your love to the people God has put in your life today or can you wait until tomorrow? Most likely it can wait. Most likely you can wait to show love to the people in your house tomorrow or even next week. You likely can put it off for a month or two maybe even a year or more. I suppose you can make a pretty good argument that there is no real rush to show the people in your life that you love them. But what if I’m wrong. What if you don’t have a year or a month or a week to show the people in your house how much you love them. What if you only have today? Soon enough God will show the believers in your life how much He loves them. Soon enough your believing mother/father, brother/sister, husband/wife, son/daughter will be with Jesus. So why wait? Why not take advantage of this year, this month, this week, this very day that God has given you to show the people in your life how much you love them? Why not take the time that God has given you to love them with more than words or tongue but with action and in truth?
Jesus did not love us with words or tongue, He loved us with action and in truth. Because of Jesus’ actions we are now the beloved children of the heavenly Father. But we are not only the objects of God’s love we are also the subjects who are to love another. A sentence doesn’t make any sense without a verb and a Christian doesn’t either. I pray God’s blessing be upon you today, this week, this month, this year as your actions make sense out of and bring meaning to the words “I love you”. Amen.